In one of the most unique venues I’ve ever seen a film in – the cave under The Whistle and Flute in Nottingham – thirty people came together to see a Halloween screening of one of the most controversial television plays ever screened.

I’ve always been a big fan of screening films in unique and unusual places. With streaming platforms competing with post-Covid cinema going, the war for viewers has never been hotter. For better or worse, at the click of a button you can sit on the sofa and scroll thousands of movies without so much as standing up.

As part of our new Midlands on the Move features, we've spoken to local filmmaker Emmeline Hartley about upcoming film Closedown. Read our continuing conversation as Midlands Movies finds out about Leicester actress Parminder Nagra's involvement & more.

Midlands Movies chats to actor, writer and producer Emmeline Hartley, who has been involved in 48-hour film challenges to viral shorts and award-winning films, about her latest film Closedown.

Screenwriter and filmmaker Aaron Sorkin sure knows how to write a courtroom scene. From the iconic “You can’t handle the truth” in A Few Good Men to his 2020 film The Trial of the Chicago 7, the celebrated writer mixes both memorable dialogue with fascinating legal fighting to perfection.

Found footage is a subgenre of horror that has been growing for quite some time, and is a medium that allows creators to develop their projects on a shoestring budget.

We speak to Midlands director Thomas Lee Rutter about a new release of his last project The Pocket Film of Superstitions. Horror aficionado Thomas tells us about the film, how it came about and the production's continuing progress as its reputation starts to go beyond the Midlands itself.

UNCANNY Directed by Liam Banks 2025 Superfreak Media Liam Banks follows up the excellent Run For Your Life! ( review here ) with a short, sharp horror experience that takes influence from the glut of uncanny, ‘imposter’ horror content across YouTube and gaming currently. James Podmore plays Jordan, a successful singleton who is looking for love on an online dating platform. After a brief, comical interaction with one lady (played by Run For Your Life! lead Rosie Frost), he connects with Amanda (Racheal Caulton). However, there is something clearly very wrong with Amanda, especially when she finally turns her camera on to reveal a distorted, not quite human façade. Podmore is great as the confused lead, recognising that something is clearly wrong, but also wanting to give his match the benefit of the doubt. And the script kicks him into action just before he risks becoming a stereotypical horror victim. Similarly, Caulton manages to shine through the layers of special effects and voice manipulation, proving she’s just as effective an antagonist, as she is horror victim. Banks, who also co-handled script duties with Charlie Brentnall, does an excellent job with the effects here. Playing it safe by keeping Caulton in low light for the most part, the effects on her face look great, even as the film quickly shifts to more of a home invasion style piece. There are also some neat little ‘did you see that?’ moments, with Amanda placed in the background of scenes; standing out just enough to heighten that uncanny feeling, only occasionally marred by a too-obvious sound design that fills the silence with stingers to make the scares obvious. Overall, it’s an excellent short. One that continues the streak of high-quality horror productions that Superfreak Media has been delivering. At just 20 minutes, there’s no fat to trim here, delivering a genuinely tense, uncomfortable experience that will keep the Halloween vibes coming. 3.5 / 5 Matthew Tilt Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tiltmatthew90/ Watch the full short for free on YouTube below:

Writer/director David Hinds pays tribute to a host of folkish (and not so folkish) horror films with Black Goat, set in the fictional Midlands town of Blackwood Falls.

What would happen if artificial intelligence was able to jump from person to person as if it were a virus? That’s the key question in this horror comedy from writer/director Anthony Thornton-Hopwood.

Two conspiracy theory barn pots kidnap a powerful CEO and chain her in their basement. Their goal? To expose her for being an Alien who wants to take over and destroy the world.

As Bruce Springsteen rises to fame, he starts making a record that no one expected. A passion project that helps him come to terms with his childhood trauma and the overwhelming nature of it all.

Hamnet is a historical drama, telling the true tale of how the famous Shakespeare play Hamlet came to be. A tragic tale of love, loss, and grief from academy award winning director Chloé Zhao.